Resurrectionists
by Cecil Serling
Summary: Exorcists always knew to avoid Akuma, but they constantly forgot to watch out for resurrectionists. Alternate title: Why D. Gray-Man Takes Place in the Late Nineteenth Century Rather Than the Early Nineteenth Century.


**Disclaimer: I do not own D. Gray-Man; it belongs to the wonderful Katsura Hoshino.**

* * *

Nights are nice. Dark nights are really nice. Nights with rain are really, really nice. Nights filled with billowing storms brought down by the wrath of God, complete with bolts of flame and winds so powerful and frightful that it feels as though one's flesh may be ripped right off the bone, are especially nice.

They're perfect nights to do the job.

The Earl needed more Akuma to make, yes he did. William wasn't quite sure what Akuma were exactly, but he did know that if he told a strange man about dead people who left loving family and friends behind, he could gain some cash. And then! And then! He would take those little dead bodies and sell them right to those doctors who performed those wretched dissections. Money and money, what a great deal!

All he had to do was kill some people.

(The other resurrectionists worked much too fast for him, damn them! Every time he had tried to dig up and open up a coffin, the body had already been gone! Much easier to just kill someone and use _that_ body.)

Of course, at first he had experienced some reluctance to accept the job. Ah, but the money! The money! It was just within his grasp, and he could simply reach out and grab it if he just closed his fingers and squeezed tightly.

Haha, funny thing though, how quickly that money can be pulled out of an arm's length reach. Usually he had at _least_ four or five dead people at this point, an adequate number for the Earl who had probably employed others as well. But, but, but he was in some trouble right about now. He only had two bodies! Two! Not even three! How disappointing.

(And, oh dear, what if _he_ became the third body when the Earl came to collect the information he so desired?)

This storming night was a godsend. It was so much easier to gather a dead body in a chaotic night compared to a bright and sunny morning. Now, he just needed to ambush his prey.

Earlier that week, William had found the perfect man to stalk; he was a newcomer in the town, surrounded by friends. The man (boy?) was scrawny, a much better target than any of his comrades. The two men with him were obviously out of the question (they were most definitely carrying weapons). Even the lady with the boy appeared to pack a stronger punch and have a meaner kick than the lad. And so, the little man it was.

He learned the name of the boy after listening to several of the conversations between the kid and his friends (and what odd conversations they were!). William had everything he needed to know in his brain, and everything he needed to use in his hands or within reach, so he was prepared for tonight to be the night.

He watched the inn the group was staying in for hours. The storm chilled him to the bone and most certainly had already damaged his health, but he wouldn't let that break his resolve. He just thought of the money waiting for him, the money, the money, the mon-

There! The boy was leaving the inn! Now's his chance.

The boy, who finished shouting to his friends something William couldn't hear, approached the alley he was in. The wind was howling in his ears, but he could see the shadow of the boy near the alley entrance. Two steps from the alley. One step.

Now! A hammer is hurled towards the boy's head, and the kid falls.

* * *

"William, William, what do you have for me this time?"

"Uh, well, you see, I don't have exactly as much as I normally do... Wait! Don't make that scary face! I promise I'll have six people next time. Six! Six! (Dear God, please don't kill me.)"

"..."

"I only have one less than normal! I'll get you six next time! It's a good deal, a good deal!"

"Dear William, it'd be wise to not disappoint me next time around. Ah, but no matter for now, what did you manage to gain for me?"

"Si- Gain? Oh, right. Two women and one man. Elizabeth Todd, she's the first lady. Her husband nearly killed himself in grief, the poor bastard. The second women was Emily Baker; she's nothing but a wretch, but I know she has two sisters who both love her oh so much. The man, well, I should really say boy, the boy, I killed him yesterday, his name was Allen Walker-"

"I'm sorry, can you repeat that last one? My old ears must be deceiving me."

"The boy? Allen Walker."

"..."

"...Earl?"

"Where is he?"

"Uh, the body? I, uh, sold it."

"_Where?_"

"Please don't kill me."

"_**Where?**_"

"To the anatomists who work near the church! They should be doing a lecture tomorrow!"

* * *

"And as you can see, the veins- excuse me, sir, who are you?"

"Just a student of medicine. May I ask, where did you get that body you're dissecting from?"

"Sir, if this is a poorly-disguised investigation, I'd like to ask you to leave."

"Ah, no, no investigation. I was just curious what the fellow on your table did, that's all."

"Well, if you must know, he was executed for several murders a few towns over. I'd like to get back to this work now, if you please."

"Just one more thing?"  
"What on God's green earth can I do for you?"

"May I see his face?"  
"Why would you... Fine! Just leave afterwards; you're disturbing our work."

"..."

"...Sir?"

"..."

"Sir, why are you crying?"

"..."

"...Sir, please leave."

* * *

_A/N: Yay for resurrectionists! Yay for the Anatomy Act of 1832! Please review!_

_Idk this was a stupid as fuck reason for me to procrastinate homework. I got bored, so here this is. I hope you enjoyed it or something, idk. I just really like to think about the Earl having worked with resurrectionists, goodbye._


End file.
